Baku, January 17, AZERTAC

Co-chaired by Ali Asadov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Irakli Kobakhidze, Prime Minister of the Republic of Georgia, the 10th meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Georgia was held in Baku on Friday.

During their one-on-one meeting, the Prime Ministers discussed the current issues of the bilateral agenda, followed by a meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission with the participation of both countries’ delegations.

Prime Minister Ali Asadov congratulated Irakli Kobakhidze on his reappointment as the Prime Minister of Georgia and the approval of a new government.

He underscored that the development of relations with Georgia is one of the priorities of Azerbaijan's foreign policy.

The sides emphasized that over the past period, the Azerbaijan-Georgia strategic partnership has reached a qualitatively new stage.

The parties hailed the active political dialogue between the two countries, expressing their satisfaction with the mutual support provided within international organizations. They also highlighted the mutual support regarding the issue of territorial integrity.

The PMs noted that traditionally, Azerbaijan and Georgia attach great importance to trade and economic cooperation.

PM Asadov noted that Georgia is one of Azerbaijan's key trade partners.

Praising the positive dynamic in investment cooperation, the sides underlined that Azerbaijan is the largest investor in Georgia.

The sides also reviewed issues on the agenda related to boosting the volume of mutual investments.

The parties emphasized the importance of cooperation in the oil and gas sector. They also highlighted the ongoing projects implemented by SOCAR in Georgia, as well as new promising projects on the agenda.

The sides hailed the mega projects jointly implemented by Azerbaijan and Georgia as an example of successful regional cooperation.

They underscored that these projects contribute to the transformation of the South Caucasus, and change the energy and transportation map of the region.

The sides commended the two countries’ important role in the implementation of the Southern Gas Corridor project.

They also expressed satisfaction with the launch of the construction of a green energy bridge to Europe with the participation of Azerbaijan and Georgia.

The parties described the transport and transit sector as one of the most important areas of bilateral cooperation. They emphasized the importance of joint efforts to ensure the full operational capability of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. The sides noted that through additional investments made by Azerbaijan and the efforts of the Georgian side, the cargo handling capacity of this route has been increased from 1 million tons up to 5 million tons.

The PMs also hailed the ongoing efforts to increase the cargo handling capacity of the Baku International Sea Trade Port, a critical link of the Middle Corridor, from 15 million tons to 25 million tons per year.

The sides also praised the successful cooperation and exchange of experience in various areas of agriculture, including mutual trade in agricultural and processed food products, plant protection, veterinary medicine and other domains.

The parties also hailed the successful cooperation in the cultural and humanitarian spheres. The PMs stressed the importance of holding the groundbreaking ceremony of the new building of the Tbilisi State Azerbaijan Drama Theater named after Heydar Aliyev in Georgia with their participation.

The sides expressed mutual interest in enhancing cultural and humanitarian exchange and cooperation in the field of education.

During the meeting, the sides broadly discussed the development prospects of the Azerbaijan-Georgia strategic partnership in all areas, with members of the delegations delivering speeches on the agenda items.

At the end of the meeting, Prime Minister Ali Asadov and Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze signed the Protocol of the 10th meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Georgia.

The meeting also featured the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Consular Cooperation between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan and Georgia, Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the field of Maritime Transport between the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, and a Protocol of Intent between the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia.